Sheriff and Communications Center Need More Help
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo and Communications Center Director Curt Hatting met before the County Board of Supervisors to ask the board to consider providing funding for another dispatcher to be hired. Hatting says incoming calls have been on the increase in all categories over the last five to six years.
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Hatting says that Plymouth County when compared to other counties of similar size is far short on the number of communications dispatchers.
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Van Otterloo informed the supervisors that he estimates the salary, insurance, and benefits for another full-time employee would be slightly lower than $52,000.
Authorities Investigate Accident
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County authorities are investigating a two-vehicle accident that occurred on Sunday afternoon. That accident happened at the intersection of County Road C-60 and Nature Avenue. According to the report, a vehicle being driven by 20 year old Brady Sitzmann of Hinton was crossing the intersection when it struck a car being driven by 47 year old Patrick Schmitz of Kingsley. Sitzmann complained of leg pain, but refused to be transported. The Hinton Ambulance also responded to that accident.
MidAmerican Energy To Stop Using Coal
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – MidAmerican Energy Co. has agreed to stop burning coal in seven power plant boilers in Iowa and limit emissions from two others as part of a settlement with an environmental group.
The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit last year claiming MidAmerican was violating the Clean Air Act by emitting more pollution than allowed in permits in Sergeant Bluff, Bettendorf, and Council Bluffs.
To settle the case, MidAmerican agrees to stop burning coal in boilers at Council Bluffs and Sergeant Bluffs by April 2016. The company says it also will stop burning coal in Bettendorf but will
operate the facility with natural gas.
It says installation of a cleaning system is under way at other boilers in Sergeant Bluffs.
MidAmerican says it settled the case Tuesday to avoid costs to customers.
Businesses Create Coalition To Support Ethanol & Biodiesel
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Several Iowa businesses and organizations have joined together to create a coalition that will push for continued government support of renewable fuels including
ethanol and biodiesel.
The Iowa RFS Coalition includes biotech giants DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta. In addition groups representing corn and soybean growers and farm equipment dealers have joined in the effort. The group’s members also include the Iowa Biodiesel Board, Iowa Biotechnology Association, and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.
The coalition, in announcing its creation Monday, says the goal is to keep in place the federal government’s Renewable Fuels Standard, a policy which requires an increasing amount of the
nation’s gasoline supply to include ethanol and biodiesel.
Critics from the oil industry and some food groups have lobbied to weaken or suspend the standard.
